Written by Ng E-Jay
12 May 2014
Dr Ng Eng Hen, the Defence Minister, tried to deflect the cost of living issue onto Singaporeans by claiming that the high cost of living is due to having higher aspirations in life.
He was speaking at a Singapore Medical Association dinner and was responding to a question from the audience concerning the rising cost of living in Singapore. He said, “If you look at household goods, per household, what people have — handphone, TV — has actually gone up”
Dr Ng added, “Unlike the past, mobile phones are almost an essential item for children.”
“That Singaporeans find costs of living expensive due to higher aspirations is a reason that will not please people … … as the reason is ‘objective’ and does not address ‘issues of the heart’,” said the Defence Minister.
Dr Ng Eng Hen is widely off the mark. The high cost of living in Singapore is not a matter of perception alone, and neither is it merely a result of Singaporeans having higher aspirations and expectations in life.
There are two main sources of inflation in Singapore. The first is escalating property prices, which have resulted in rapidly increasing rentals.
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